Assassini No Longer
by templarkiller3
Summary: Set in the same time as Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio's world is turned upside down as his life of an assassin is torn apart by a unexpected turn of events.


Machiavelli turns to me with a concerned look. "The Borgia are growing stronger each day, soon they will outnumber us."

I turn back to him with a smirk and reply "They won't get the chance."

"I doubt that you will be able to bring down the strongest army in Italia, Ezio."

I unsheathe my sword, "I plan to steal the Apple back."

"You're insane, but do you have the means to do so?"

"Of course! Do you not remember what happened to the Villa, even Mario's murder!?" I yelled slamming the sharp edge of my sword into the wooden table.

"Calm down Ezio. Yes I do remember." He replies with that stupid concerned look on his face like I've gone mad.

"Then why question whether or not I would do so? That bastardo deserves it and you know it."

"Of course I do."

"Now if you don't mind, I have business to tend to." And with that I got up from the table and left the hideout and headed towards the Vatican.

I was so focused on getting to the Vaticano before sunset, that I barely heard a whisper call my name "Ezio!"

"Who's there?" I say barely loud enough for the people around me to hear, turning in a complete circle observing my environment.

"It's me!" the mysterious voice replies

"Show yourself! I do not like my time wasted with these games!" I yelled back, the people around me are starting to notice and where giving me weird looks.

"Certainly," '_Wait, do I know that voice?'_

I heard footsteps behind me but I dare not turn around because I fear the worst. Before I knew it my hood was pulled down to my shoulders and I was facing the owner of the familiar voice. _Leonardo!_

"Leonardo?"

"I heard you were in Rome but I had to see it for myself." He held out his arms to give me a hug that was hospitable and warm.

"Leonardo, am I the only reason why you came to Rome?"

"No my friend. I have been hired by the Borgia. Well, if I had not accepted they would have killed me. But I guess that is not the worst of news... They have the Apple."

"Yes I know. I am planning on stealing it back. Leonardo you must not tell anyone." I look around to see if anyone will notice me without my hood. _I guess I'm alright, just got to be a little more cautious. _I look back over at the blonde artist and he breaks me away from my paranoia.

"Ezio, are you okay?"

"Oh- Yes I'm fine."

"Your mind seems to have escaped you."

My paranoia seems to be getting the best of me. I look around again. I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn as fast as I can to follow it but I meet Leonardo's bright blue eyes again. He looks concerned.

"Ezio, are you sure you're alright?"

I rub my eyes and look back to the last place I saw the shadow. "Just seeing things I guess."

"Oh, I'm-I'm sorry to ask this in the open, but is it your 'gift' that's causing these visions?"

"Leonardo, my vision shows me glowing figures not dark shadows."

"I see."

My attention was drawn to a group of five guards coming towards Leonardo and me. I grab his wrist and turn around pulling him in front of me.

"Ezio! What is the meaning of this?"

"Act normal."

"Act? Act normal? What is going on?"

"I think the guards are coming over here. I am sorry Leonardo I should have never talked to you in the open like this. I must go."

"Ezio! It's not your fault. I pulled down your hood. But you are right, maybe you should get out of here, before things get sticky."

"Mi dispiace, Leonardo!"

"Wait! Ezio! Where will I know to meet you?"

"Come to the Timbre or I will come find you. Addio amico mio."

"Goodbye Ezio."

_That was to close for comfort. How could I have been so stupid? Talking to Leonardo in the open like that? Merda, what if he gets in trouble because of me? _ I didn't see where I was going when I ran into a civilian carrying a basket of grapes.

"Hey! Watch where you are going! Do you know what that costs?"

I get shoved hard from behind from what I suspect is a guard. When I turn around I see one advancing towards me.

"You know what you remind me of? Cow dung, dropped from a high tower you too would be a stinky smear in the strata. For now on you will be an angel, or I will send you to hell."

After recovering from being shoved, I keep my head down and keep walking. I manage to turn a corner to take a short cut to Il Vaticano. The journey was filled with twists and turns with dark alleys, that were filled with idiotic drunks. One of them stood in front of me with a bottle of foul smelling beer which he waved under my nose.

"You want some?" He words where slurred and I barely understood him.

He doesn't deserve a reply. He clinched his free hand into a fist and waved it in the air. "What are you looking at? Are you in the market for a husband?" He said with a smirk.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and shoved him out of the way. I didn't turn around when I heard the sound of his drunken body hitting the wall. I tried to hurry my step but I was stopped by the same man when he grabbed my wrist and ripped my back.

"What do you want!?" I yell back at him starting to get frustrated

"Where are you going in such a hurry? I thought you were my friend! Why did you throw me into the wall like that?" He asked trying to keep himself balanced by holding my shoulder with his hand. "Hey, I know you,"

_'Get the fuck out of my way, you drunken bastard.' _

"You're the talk of the town! The most wanted man in Italia! Mentor of the assassins!"

I grab his neck and pin him to the wall, our faces are inches away from each other and I can barely stand his breath being blown onto my face. "Where the hell have you heard that from?"

"I won't tell."

"Tell me!" I yelled my grip tightens

"Please. Stop."

"I will when you tell me where you heard that, I do not like me my time wasted."

"Okay! I'll tell you..."

"SPIT IT OUT! I swear to your God, I will kill you if you don't tell me, you drunken bastard." I tighten my grip more and I clinch my jaw from screaming at him more.

"Calm down. I-" His face turns red and tries to grip at my arm. "I can't breathe!"

I let him go and he falls to the ground gasping for air.

"Thank the Lord! It was…" His eyes roll to the back of the head "It was…" His head tilts back and he goes limp.

"It was who!?" I shake his shoulders "Wake up! You must tell me!" I shake his shoulders again

His eyes shoot back open, "It was Cesare!"

Those were his last words before he passed on the ground.

_'Merda'_

I continue my way to the Vatican. Before I knew it I was standing at its beautiful marble steps. I quickly make my way up them to the center cathedral where the Apple is being held. Rounding the last corner I see Cesare and two gunmen standing across from me. The two gunmen have their newly polished rifles pointed at me.

"So happy to see you again, assassino." I reach my hand up to push the tile to release the Apple but Cesare stops me, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

I press the tile in and one of the gunmen's bullets hits my right shoulder causing my hand to hit the Apple off of its stand. I grip shoulder, "I thought you were better than this Cesare. I thought that a general like you would kill his own enemies, not hire riflemen to take them out." Moving quickly I scoop the Apple up with my good hand off the ground and run, but as soon as I get two feet away I am hit with another bullet. The bullet hits me directly in the back of the right knee cap causing me to tumble to the ground. My shoulder hits the ground causing me to lose my grip on the Apple, leaving it to roll of to the distance.

Shortly after that, my head is forced to the ground as my arms are held and chained behind my back with shackles.

"Lock him up tight, this one is too valuable to lose." One guard says behind me.

"Take him to the Castello, I will deal with his little friends. If he causes any trouble, you know what to do." Cesare says before turning to leave.

"I'll kill you Cesare!" I yell before having a gag put around my throat and a blindfold wrapped around my eyes. The guard who restrained me forces me to my feet and escorts me out of the Vatican.

The journey to the Castello was short and filled with gasps and muffles of prayers as I am dragged past civilians. I feel the bricks of the Castello bridge as my limp legs are dragged over them, but I come to an abrupt stop.

"Give him back to us!" Someone yells and I am immediately dropped do to the sound of swords unsheathing and fighting fills my ears. I close my eyes and try not to hear the gut wrenching sounds of people dying and dead bodies of assassin recruits hitting the ground covered in blood. I feel a pang in my throat when I hear the sound of dead bodies being thrown into the river. My eyes begin to swell with tears and I cannot stop the choked sob from escaping my lips.

Once inside the Castello the guards let me walk on my own into a room. Again we stop and the guard grabs my arm, "Kneel before your host." he warns before someone hits the back of my knees, causing me to collapse to the ground.

"That is all. Leave me with my prisoner." Someone says before the sound of armor fills my ears until it fades to silence. "Ezio, how does it feel to know that everything you know and love is gone? I took care of your little assassin friends, they won't be causing us anymore trouble."

I feel the same pang in my throat from earlier _'Don't let him get to you, he's just saying that to make you vulnerable.'_ My eyes swell with tears again.

"You must be so upset, confused even. How did this happen to you? How could it happen?" He grabs my chin and unties my blindfold. "Look at you, what a mess."

My bottom lip quivers and my eyes shut, squeezing the tears out of them letting them run down my cheeks. I try to say something but the gag stops me.

"I always knew that deep down inside, you were afraid of me. And now, here you are, on your knees, in tears." He says and unties the gag around my mouth, "How pathetic."

"Why..." I whisper.

"Why?" He laughs at me, "Because I wanted to see just how far I could push you till you broke and can began begging for mercy."

"I guess you got your wish, but I am not begging."

"We'll see, tonight you will be attending a Templar meeting. We will have food, and you will be on you best behavior."

Later that night, I was escorted out of my cell and into a grand dining room were a long table sat big enough to seat twenty people. The guard shackles me to my chair and places a bag over my head before he leaves.

"Good evening everyone." Cesare says, "Tonight we have a guest, this man have made a massacre of our order, but tonight he is my prisoner." Everyone gasps, "Treat him as though you would treat each other. He has no one, the assassini are finished." Another gasp.

"Do you mean the assassino is here?" One person asks.

"Si, he is sitting right over there. But, don't worry, he is restrained... Guards un mask him." Cesare says and the bag is swiftly removed from my head revealing a table full of Templars all looking in my direction.

I look around the table in search of Cesare who is sitting at the head of the table. "Cesare..." I whisper.

"Now that we all know, servants please bring the food out."

A row of servants fill the spaces in between each chair. They place golden plates in front of us filled with luxurious meats and vegetables that made my mouth water just smelling them. The woman behind me leaned down and unlocked my restraints and everyone froze, waiting for me to attack one of them. I did not do one such thing, except place my hands on my lap.

Rodrigo Borgia came into the room with a large golden cup filled with red wine. He begins a pray in a language I do not understand but I still bow my head. "Amen." Everyone says at the end and leans their heads back up while Borgia holds up the large cup after converting the red wine, "This is the blood of God, my brothers. May it bring health and lead us into the new world."

The large cup was passed around to each man to take a drink and say a prayer. Even though I don't believe in any God, I too took a drink. Rodrigo watched as everyone took a drink then, it was his. Taking what is left of the wine, he looks around the table again. His eyes immediately fall to me, "Ezio Auditore?"

I nod my head.

He turns to Cesare, "What is the assassin doing here?"

"Father, don't you see? If he tries to even think about running, he will be killed."

Rodrigo's gaze returns to me, "Is this true assassin? Has he taken you prisoner?"

I nod my head again.

"Well then, let's eat before the food gets cold shall we?"

I immediately go for the meat on my plate. Cutting the perfectly cooked meat in half, I stick my fork into one half and take a huge bite. I swallow and continue devouring the rest of my food. It had been three days since I had ate a proper meal after all.

The man sitting next to me looks at me in surprise, "Did Cesare not feed you yet? You poor thing. Here, have the rest of mine." He says and takes my now empty plate and replaces it with his half full one. "I had a late lunch, don't worry."

"Grazie." I say and continue eating.

"As you all know, once you have eaten at this table and drank that wine, you are a Borgia." Cesare says, causing me to choke on my food. "The Pope was not lying when he said that wine was turned into God's blood. God will kill you if you are not a believer, therefore, that wine was poison to you all who are non-believers. You should be feeling the effect of it right now."

After finally getting my food down I immediately feel the burning of poison in my system. My vision blurs and my arms fall limp to my sides. The food begins to make its way back up my throat and I vomit on the ground beside me.

Rodrigo stands and points at me, "You! I knew you didn't believe! He is rejecting you! He is killing you!"

My throat closes completely and I grasp my hands around it, and stand up from the dining table. I make my way over to the Pope and kneel in front of him, "Please."

Rodrigo looks down at me with disgust, rolling his eyes he hands me a vile of a weird medicine.

I pull the cap off and drink the foil substance, and my throat immediately opens up and I gasp for air. But, my stomach is still upset.

"Take him back to his cell, I have seen enough of him." Rodrigo says

Early the next morning I hear footsteps outside my door that arouse me from my sleep. It was still dark in the cell until I saw the light of a candle, "Who's there?" I whisper.

"It's Lucrezia, I just wanted to see if the rumor was true."

"You of all people should know by now, why are you really here?"

"I wanted some company. It gets quite lonely while Cesare is gone."

"I don't see why I should be in a cell then."

The sound of a key entering the lock outside the cell brings joy to me, "Here, follow me."

I get up out of the make shift mattress and my back pops and I cringe in pain. "Where are we going?"

"Well first, to the bath. You stink."

I chuckle, "How do you expect me to bath? I have no spare clothes."

"That's not a problem..."

Soon we arrived at Lucrezia's private chambers at the top of the Castello. We enter a large washing room and she stands in front of me, "We'll need all your clothes off."

"Uh... I..."

She grabs my shirt and lifts it up, "Arms up," She says and rips my shirt off of me. She places her hand on my defined abdominal muscles, "You look good, but you need to smell good too. Pants now."

I untie my breeches and she bends down pulls them off of me. She stands back and admires me for a minute, "You know, I never believed all the stories."

I step into the bath and lower myself down, "What stories?"

"The ones about how you slaughtering people for personal game." She leans over the rim and begins to scrub my arms with soap.

"I do not. They are lies, besides, the assassins are no longer."

"What?" She asks shocked as she drops the bar of soap into the water.

"Cesare killed all of them. I was there when it happened."

"But, he spared you... Interesting. Wonder what he has planned for you." She says and reaches into the water and grabs the soap again moving to my legs.

"Pain, a lot of pain."

"But Cesare only spared you that must mean something."

"What do you mean?"

"Well if he wanted, he could use you." She says as she finishes scrubbing my legs, making her way back up to my head.

"For what?"

She doesn't reply only pushes my head under water to get soap on it. My insticts kick in and I grab her hand and wrist lock her while resurfacinging. She grabs my hand from hers and rubs the top of my head, she laughs at me and smiles, "I can think of many things."

"Like what."

"Well, you could be a papal guard or a-"

"Definitely not." I say cutting her off, "I don't think that's what he'll make me."

"You are a skilled fighter and a skilled climber... Maybe an archer?"

I chuckle and shake my head.

"You are turning into a prune," She says examining my fingers "I will go get you some clothes."

"Grazie." I say to her before she leaves. The warmth of the tub slowly becomes cold while she is away. I lean my back up and look around for a linen to dry off with but find none. I lean back down and wait a bit longer. '_What is taking so long?'_

The door opens and Lucrezia returns to the room. "Here" She says and throws a linen at me.

I catch it before it hits the water, "Grazie." I stand up and quickly dry myself off and step out of the tub. I hold the linen in front of me, waiting for her to bring me some clothes.

"I had some guards go and retrieve your robes. But, these should be fine until then." she says and holds out a silky loose fitted shirt and leather pants.

I grab them and slip the shirt on over my head and stick my legs through the pants. The shirt has a long V-neck that reminds me of something I used to wear when I was younger, but the pants fit fine.

Lucrezia stands back and admires her work for a moment before was a knock on the door. "Signora, we have retrieved the clothes that you have requested." A guard says through the door.

"Good. Are they washed?"

"No signora."

"Make sure they are washed properly before returned."

"Si, signora." The guard says before walking down the hallway.

Lucrezia turns to me, "Come," She says and holds her hand out.

I hold mine out and she grabs it and leads me out of her chambers and into a large hallway. We continue down multiple staircases, before entering the large dining room I was in last night.

"Hungry?" She asks.

As on cue, my stomach growls. I nod my head and she laughs.

Never letting go of my hand she leads me back into the kitchen where all of the servants were preparing food. All of them abruptly stop and turn and bow at Lucrezia, "Good afternoon Signora." One of them says and walks forward, "Do you need anything to-" She stops as she looks at me, "And who might you be?"

I open my mouth to answer but Lucrezia beats me to it. "Ezio."

The woman tilts her head.

"The assassin." Lucrezia says.

The woman's mouth drops open, "You?"

"Si, it is true." I reply.

"Well, in that case shall I prepare something for you too?"

"I would be grateful, grazie."

"I will get to it then. Ciao!" The woman says and shoos us out of the kitchen.

Lucrezia grabs my hand and pulls me into the dining room again, "I hope you like big lunches, Esmeralda cooks big meals for big men." She says and elbows me.

"Bene. I didn't really eat a lot last night," I say and sit down at the table.

Shortly after, Esmeralda returns with two platters, one large and one medium sized. She places the medium one in front of Lucrezia and the large one in front of me. "I hope you enjoy." she says and takes the lids off, then returns to the kitchen.

The platter is filled with a large proportion of juicy meat and multiple sides of vegetables and fruits. I cut into the meat with my knife and the steam coming from the inside makes my mouth water. I devour half of it before I look over to Lucrezia who has not even made a bent in her platter. I continue eating starting with the steamed vegetables then the rest of my meat. I stick my fork into the meat when Lucrezia grabs my hand and stops me.

"Slow down. You'll get sick."

"No I won't." I say with my mouth full.

"I understand your famished but you don't need to be a savage." She laughs

Still having her hand on mine I take another bite off of my fork. I prepare another when she covers my hand with both of hers. I swallow my food and she glares daggers into me. "What?"

"Do I have to take your fork away?" She asks.

"Why would you do that? I'm not five years old."

"But you're acting like it." She says and rips the fork from my hand. "And if you're going to behave like one, I'm going to treat you like one." She says while sticking my fork into a piece of fruit, "Open up." She says while waving the piece of fruit in front of my face.

"Lucrezia..."

She raises an eyebrow and I sigh. I look away and she sets the fork the fork down on the platter. She crosses her arms and I can feel her glare on my cheek. I look back at her and she picks up the fork again and puts it in front of my face. "Open up." She say.

I sigh and slowly open my mouth and lean forward. She puts the fruit in my mouth and I close it, capturing the fruit and part of the fork. She slowly slides the fork out of my lips and sticks another piece on while I chew and swallow. She repeats the pattern three more times before the dining room door flies open and Cesare steps in. We freeze with her hand on the fork which was in my mouth. She turns and looks at Cesare, "Bello mio, you have returned."

"I see that you have made friends with my prisoner." He replies as he gestures to her hand feeding me.

"Ah, si I have." She lets go of the fork and stands and kisses him, "He needed help."

"Help with what? Feeding himself?"

"No. How to behave at the dining table. He was making quite a mess of himself."

I take the fork out of my mouth and try to swallow the fruit, but end out spitting it out on the platter after choking on it.

"Clearly." Cesare replies, "I will bring him back to his cell. Go tidy up, we have a meeting to attend."

"Si right away." Lucrezia says and turns to leave, but stop and turns around. She runs up to me and slaps me, "That's for humiliating me in front of the king of Italia." She says and walks out.

Cesare walks up to me and grabs me by my collar and lifts me out of chair. "Did you like that assassin?" He asks and throws my out of the dining room, "You did, didn't you? You dirty little whore. You're pathetic!" He yells and reaches out to grab me again.

I swat his hand away, "Don't touch me."

He doesn't listen and grabs me my collar again and holds me between the wall and him. His breath reeks of alcohol, and he cups me through my pants, "You wish that you could have her. Only one problem, she's mine," He says and presses harder causing me to wince, "If you dare touch her or even think about it, I will cut you to bits." He says and lets me go and I crumble to my knees, holding myself.

"I hate you Cesare."

All I got in reply was a kick to the ribs, causing me to cry out and fall to my stomach. "I'd watch that mouth of your, before you get your tongue cut off." He says and reaches down and grabs me by my armpits and guides me to my feet. "Guards!" Cesare yells and two militia appear from around the corner, "Take care of this trash. Send him to the solitary chambers." He lets me go and I fall in front of the two militias.

"Can we play with him for a bit?" One of them ask.

"Yes, just don't brake him to bad."

"Yes my lord." The same one replies and reaches down and rolls me onto my back as Cesare walks away. Once Cesare was gone and out of hearing range, the one turns to the other, "What shall we do with him?"

"I do not know yet. He seems well enough to defend himself."

"Then we shall tie him down outside of the chambers."

"Good idea, don't want Cesare and the rest of them hearing his screams." The other says and leans down and grabs my arms and restrain them, I growl at him, "Angry are we?" He mocks. "Grab his legs."

"Shouldn't we just break them instead?"

"No. Just in case Cesare wants to run him, he can."

"Sure." The one says tying and lifts my legs off the ground so I am suspended in the air.

We make our way down to the first floor of cells where mine is but they pass it and keep going to the second floor. It was dark until they lit the torches, forcing them to set my down, "Stay here. Don't you move." One of them say and move over to light the torches. Apparently he was having troubles with the lighter because he called the other over, "Hey, Luigi, come help with this one it won't light."

I hear footsteps assuming it to be Luigi's walking over to the other guard. "Here, let me try."

The one passes the torch to him and he tries to light to the torch with his lit one but it doesn't work. "Why won't it light? Merda."

"Cazzo! Watch where you move that thing! You almost set me on fire."

"Sorry."

"Here let me try."

"You already did! It won't work."

"Yes, it will. Just give it here."

Sound of fire swooshing cuts through the air.

"Let go! You'll drop it."

"Me? You're the one who almost set my on fire!"

"I didn't mean to! Now, let go!"

After their bickering I hear wood hit brick floor and roll to me. It suddenly got light around me and I close my eye from the brightness and smoke from the torch laying next me. It continues to be bright but it starts to become increasingly hot by my arms. Realizing the torch was headed my way I try to scoot away but it doesn't work.

"You thinking what I'm thinking Luigi?"

"You know I am, brother." Luigi laughs.

He picks up the torch and blows it out so there is no fire left. Moving quickly I am pinned down and my breeches are untied. I do not see what happens next due to the man pinning me down but I feel unmerciful pain. The hot ashes of the torch burn the top of my shaft and I start screaming in hopes someone will hear me but a hand muffles my cries. The burn sinks quickly but it is stopped by my legs swarming uncontrollably. Using all the strength in my arms I rip them from underneath the man holding me down and brush the hot ashes off of me with my numb hands.

"You fucking pieces of shit!" I yell, "I will kill both of you!"

"You hear that Luigi? He thinks he's scaring us." The one says and beacons Luigi to walk with him to me.

"Don't come near me."

They continue walking towards me, "Oh don't worry. We won't hurt you." The one reaches out to me and gabs me and drags me to a cell. The other closes and locks the door behind them causing it to become pitch black.

Using my vision I am able to see in the dark as the two now bright red men walk to me. "Get away from me." I warn.

"Is the toy already broken or does in not want to play?" Luigi steps forward.

"I think he's just being shy. Maybe we should cheer him up?"

"Maybe. Let me see what I can do." Luigi says grabbing my arm and flipping me onto my stomach, sitting on me. He places his hands on my shoulders and begins to push and rub on the knots. I wince and squeeze my eyes shut as he rubs my right shoulder with his elbow, digging into the knot.

"He doesn't like it Luigi." The other one says and pushes Luigi's shoulder causing him to shift on my back. "Try something different."

"If you're so concerned than you try something." Luigi says and turns his head and presses his hand to the back of my head.

"Fine. Get off of him." The one says, pushing the other man off of me.

The man slowly sits down on top of me and leans down, inches from my ear, "Do not worry I am not as tuff as my brother. In fact, I can help you." He whispers beginning to massage my shoulders lightly. I take a deep breath and relax slightly. He turns back to Luigi, "See brother, you must be gentle with your toys. In order for them to let you play with them you must first show respect. Isn't that what Cesare told them after killing off the assassini?"

"Si brother. But this man isn't like others. He was the head of them."

The man's hands froze where they were. "What?"

"It is true. Cesare said so. But, anyways we should be heading back, he should be expecting us."

"Yes, we should, we would not want to keep him waiting." The man says as he stands up and opens the door letting the light into the dark cell.

"Water and feed him, then meet me upstairs in the main hall when you are finished." Luigi says and exits the cell.

The man standing at the door looks down at me before moving to fill a bowl with water. He carefully walks back, being cautious to not spill, into the cell and sets the bowl on the floor. Finally moving to me, he grabs my shoulder and the restraints on my wrists lifting me back to my knees. "Here," He says and reaches for the bowl. Putting the bowl to my lips, he tips up letting the water run out.

I try my hardest, but no matter how open my mouth was, water runs down the front of my shirt. After emptying the bowl, the man turns his back to me. "What is your name?" I ask with a raspy voice.

He turns his head, "Why should I tell you?"

"You said you would help me."

"Oh, yea. The names Boebly, but people call me Boe."

I bow my head, "Ezio Auditore."

He turns back with a plate with bread on it, "I know it's little but, at least it's something." He says and places the plate in front of me. "You're lucky, most prisoners don't get food."

I look down at the bread and back at him.

"Cesare says I not allowed to feed you. Might bite my fingers off."

"Are you serious?"

He nods his head, "Sorry."

I sigh, "Can you at least leave me some privacy?"

"Si, Cesare should come and get you in the morning."

"Perfect." I say sarcastically

"Good-night Messere Auditore." Boe says and exits the cell before I could reply.

Shutting the door, complete darkness fills the room, leaving me to figure out where the bread is. Using my vision it glows bright yellow below me. With my hands still tied behind my back, I lean down with my mouth open. The restraints pull down on my forearms and they feel as if they were about to rip apart. I was nearly there I hear something in the back of the room. It sounded like a moan.

I turn my head at scan the room with my vision and find a man lying on the floor behind me. "Hello?" I say in hopes of gaining his attention.

He shifts his weight and moans again.

"Who are you?"

No reply.

"Hello?"

Suddenly his head turns towards me with his yellow beady eyes staring at me. His limbs snap to life and he stands hunched over. He towers above where I sit on my knees and he clenches and un-clenches his fists. "Get out." He says in a quiet, ghostly voice.

"I- I can't. The door is locked."

"NOW!" He screams and without warning tackles me to the hard floor.

"Get off of me!" I yell and try to roll out from underneath him but he grips my throat with his hand.

"This is my cell, and you think you can come in here and not get hurt? Your very mistaken amico."

"I didn't mean any harm, now please just get off!"

His grip tightens around my windpipe and at closes completely. I tug at my restraints but it is no use. "You will pay for what you have done."

I open my mouth but only choke on empty words.

He lift my head by my neck and bashes it to the ground and I clinch my eyes shut. He continues to bash my head and all I could hear was the sound of my skull smacking the ground.

I open my eyes but all I see is black. My body is limp and my head feels as though it is floating on invisible water. I blink, all I can see is my attacker... eating my bread. He swallows it whole and then turns his head to me. He picks up the plate and walks towards me. _'Please, stop. No. Don't come over here.'_ He holds the plate high above his head, _'No, please! Dio mio please. NO!' _ I scream in my mind before he hits me with the plate causing everything to go black again and my eyes close.

The next time I wake up, I see a man standing over me. I have a horrible head ache and I hold my forehead with my hand. I lean up on my elbows even though my migraine complains. I only last two seconds before my eyes roll back into my head and I fall back to the ground again and the man looks down at me.

"Ah, I see you have awoken. Recovered from your beating then?"

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember?"

"Where is my bread?"

"I ate it. You watched me."

My jaw goes limp and I am completely shocked, "My bread... You ATE my bread?" I ask.

He chuckles and leans down and wraps his hand around my throat, "And now I eat you." He says calmly.

I only give him a confused stare.

"What? No; please stop and spare me, or even show me mercy please?"

"What?"

He sighs and rolls his eyes, "I guess I'll just have to suffocate you first. Such a hassle I go through." He says and his grip tightens, closing my windpipe.

I grip his forearms and open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I kick my legs in hopes of a mean of escape but nothing happens.

"There's no way of escaping, you will die-" His words were cut off by a bullet flying through his head, killing him instantly. Blood flies and enters my mouth as his dead body falls on top of me. I cough up what I can before pushing his dead form off of me. I roll to my stomach and look up at the almost heroic Cesare standing and the cell doorway with his rifle still pointed.

I get to my knees and dive to his ankles and wrap my arms around them. "Grazie, Cesare."

"I always knew that old bastard would try to kill someone." He replies, "Guards, take the body of that old hag and dump it into the river."

"Yes my lord." They reply and collect the body and drag it out of the cell.

"Cesare..." I say, looking up at him, "He ate my bread."

"He ate your bread?" Cesare replies

I nod and tighten my hold on his ankles, "I really wanted that bread. But he took it from me." I get to my knees and move my arms around his hips and put my cheek on his thigh.

He pushes down on me but I do not budge, "I never would have thought that an Auditore would be on his knees for me..." He says quietly, "Ezio, I have a proposition for you. If you would only let go..."

"Sorry." I say and un-wrap myself from him standing up, "I don't know what got into me."

"Now that that's settled, how would you feel to be my personal killer?"

"What do you mean?"

"You will kill anyone who I tell you to."

"What's in it for me?"

"Anything; women, clothing, money. A lot of money."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. Just kill the ones I ask for."

I think about it for a moment, _'Cesare's personal killer... The assassins are gone, this is different, way different.'_ "Does this mean I'm 'free'"?

"If you put it that way."

"Fine. Only one condition."

"Hm?"

"No shadowing me while I am away. You can trust, I take killings very seriously."

"Done. So it is settled?"

I nod my head.

"Come, Auditore. We will see you to your new chambers." Cesare says and grabs my wrist pulling me out of the dungeons.

I arouse from my sleep when I hear a knock on my door, "Who is it?" I whisper barely opening my eyes.

"Me." The voice says back.

"Come in?"

"Certainly." The voice says and enters my room with a lantern in hand.

I hold my hand in front of my eyes, blocking the brightness of the lantern. Slowly removing my hand my vision adjusts to the light, revealing the owner of the voice, "Leonardo?"

"I am sorry for awakening you at such an early hour."

I lean up on my elbows and the blanket slides down revealing my chest, "It is fine. What brings you here?"

"I have been working on something lately... I don't know... It's stupid really." His voice reeks of uncertainty.

"Show me. Leonardo, I will not judge."

"I don't even know why I came up here... Maybe I should go..." He says and turns to leave.

I rip the blankets from myself and run past him closing off his escape.

"Ezio, why would you behave in such a way? This is not like you."

"Leonardo, I do not permit you to leave before showing me your work."

He chuckles and shakes his head, "I thought everything was permitted."

"That was the past."

"That was a week ago."

I walk up to him, grabbing his forearm, I guide him to the end of the bed. "Show me." I say as I sit him on the bed, and put myself next to him.

"It is silly..."

"Leonardo. Do I have to force you?"

"You might..."

Before he would say anything else I snatch the red beret off of his head. Placing it on my head, I grin at him. "Will you tell me now?"

"What- Ezio give it back." He says and reaches up to grab his hat back but I swat his arm away.

"Show me the thing first."

He reaches again, "No."

I grab his forearm and hold it away from us, "Then you won't get this back."

He tries moving his arm but it doesn't budge, "You are acting like a child."

"So are you." I reply, grabbing his other arm and move it away from us.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"It is my job."

"No your job is to kill people, not steal hats. Now give it here!" He yells but soon he realizes what he had just said, covering his mouth with his hand.

His words cut me like a dagger and I let his arms go, "I was only joking." I say and look away from him, not wanting him to see the hurt in my eyes. My emotions quickly take over due to the lack of sleep and my heart rate picks up, _'What happens if he really meant it? I'll have no one is he leaves me.'_ My brain is filled with 'What ifs' instantaneously but his voice snaps me back to reality.

"Ezio, I did not mean it. You know that."

I cross my arms, hugging myself, but never looking up at him. I take deep breaths in order to calm myself down but it just makes it worse.

He reaches up and grips my chin, "I didn't I swear."

His touch makes me want to shrivel up and die and my worrying is sent into hyper drive, "Too far." Was all I could choke out before I crumble inside.

"I know, and I am so sorry." He says with a shaky voice, releasing my chin.

_'What? Is he crying? I am worrying too much,' _I look up at him though eyes swelling with tears, "It is too early in the morning for this." I say in hopes of breaking the tension and to calm myself back down. Grabbing the hat from my head I hold it out to him, "My heads to big anyways."

He laughs and takes the hat out of my hands and places back on my head, "It fits you rather well."

"You think?" I take a deep breath and close my eyes, "It is your trademark, one of an artist, not an assassin." I say and take the hat off and plop it back on his head. "Now, show me your design."

He looks at me with disappointment, "I was hoping you would forget about that." He says and reaches into his bag to grab whatever it was.

"Is that a purse?"

He looks at me weird and looks back down at his bag, "No, it's a messenger bag."

"So, it's a boy purse."

"No. It is a bag."

"Well no shit it is a bag, but what kind of bag."

"I just told you what it is. It's a messenger-"

"Purse."

He glares at me and continues digging through his purse. Upon finding his sheet of paper he gives it to me to examine. "Here"

I grab the paper and unroll it carefully onto the bed. I flip myself around so I lay on my stomach to get a better view, "It is an elegant design Leonardo. You never cease to amaze me."

He smiles and looks away, "Do you truly think so? I designed this blade to act the same as your two, but to help when falling from things. For example, it is raining and you are falling from a building, you cannot grab ahold of the side of it due to the slippery surface, so what do you do?"

"Die... or find someone to break your fall."

"Wrong. Using this new design you will be able to latch onto anything or anyone."

I hold the paper out in front of me, "Will you be able to make it?"

"Yes, only, I need money for the raw materials."

"No su problema. And to think you called this stupid." I say and turn my attention to someone knocking on the door, "Who is it."

"The guard. Now open this door."

"Just a moment." I say and turn to Leonardo, grabbing his hat from him, "Get into the bed."

"Ezio, now is not the time-"

"Trust me."

Moving quickly, Leonardo walks to the other side of the large bed and gets under the covers and lays to the opposite side to me.

"Open this door!" The guard yells through the dark wood.

I hide the design in my breeches and shake my head, causing everything to have dots, I open the door. "Si?"

"It is time for your training." The guard says and moves to see into the room, "But, I did not know you had company." He says with a smirk, "Having fun?"

"Hardly. I couldn't get her to stop drinking, and all she wanted was head."

"Receiving end?"

"I was the one giving."

The guard gives me a disgusting look, "I will tell Cesare that you have company. Good luck."

"You mean good luck getting the taste out of my mouth? Thanks I'll need it."

The guard starts laughing as he walks back down the hallway.

I close the door the find Leonardo sitting on the bed with a bright red face, "What? I had to come up with something."

"So you made me a woman."

"Yep. It kind helped with your hair." I say and flick a piece of his golden hair, causing him to become redder.

"I guess I shall be on my way then…" Leonardo says and tries to walk past me but I grab his arm to stop him, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Grazie."

"For what?"

"For showing me your design."

Making my way back down to the ground level of the Castello, I am greeted by two milita waiting to escort me to the courtyard, "Salute Messere Auditore, this way please." One of them says and leads the way while the other trails behind. "It is a beautiful day to begin training no?" He asks.

"Ah, si. Do you know if Cesare will be here?"

"Yes of course. He has requested that he train you privately."

_'Privately? What do you have in store Cesare...?'_ "Bene."

He stops and gestures his hand towards the courtyard where Cesare stands, "Here you are Messere, may you have a great training lesson."

"Grazie" I say as I walk past him into the courtyard.

"There he is!" Cesare announces, arms wide open.

"Salute," I say back.

"I was beginning to worry I had lost you to the vices of the big Castello." He says shaking my shoulders.

I shrug, "I guess."

Cesare removes his hands from me and backs up, "Now, about your training... The guard who escorted you here might have told you that we train alone, but there is a guest here who has requested 'seeing the famous man in action'. He is very... unique?" He turns around and starts walking and I follow, "Allow me to introduce my good friend and ally, Messere Da' Vinci." He says lifting an arm and stepping out of the way revealing Leonardo.

"It is an honor to finally meet the man who everyone is talking about." Leonardo says bowing his head.

"Please, the honor is mine." I say and bow my head, looking up at Leonardo. _'What are you up to?'_ I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Cesare steps in between us and puts a hand on my shoulder, "Now that we have met each other, Messere Da' Vinci, would you mind?"

"Oh, not at all. Let me just get out of your way." Leonardo says and makes his way over to the chair sitting over by a wooden dummy leaning against the wall. He pulls out charcoal and parchment and sits, waiting for our lesson to begin.

Cesare taps my shoulder, my attention snaps back to him, "Just met him and now you can't stop looking at him. Do you have any manners?"

"What? I was just..."

"Lucrezia was right."

"Let's just get to training shall we?"

He nods his head, "We shall." He says and walks over to a rack full of weapons, picking out a small stiletto. "Here," He says and throws the small knife over to me, "I want to see how you handle a knife in combat."

Catching the knife by its handle, I give him a questioning look, "What would you have me practice on?"

"Guards, bring me the first contestant." Cesare says turning his head with a grin.

Without hast, two militia arrive escorting a younger looking boy. The boy struggles in their grasps and glares at Cesare. "I am glad to see you again, Claudio. How I missed you. But, enough about me. Today you will be fighting for your food." Cesare says standing in front of the boy, "I believe you have seen the wanted posters around town, no... Well the man in the pictures is here, and you will be fighting him." He says stepping up off to the side, grabbing a basic sword from the rack and handing it to the boy.

The boy holds the sword out with shaky hands, eyes full with fear and terror.

"Cesare, you expect me to use him as practice?" I ask

"That shouldn't be a problem, should it?" He says and turns to face me.

I scowl at him and get into a defensive position.

"Good, may the match begin." Cesare says and motions us to come together with his hands.

I advance towards the boy but he is frozen at his spot. Stepping one step more he swings his sword but I easily dodge it, spinning behind him and slicing him from his left shoulder the his right. He cries out flings around with fury in his eyes, swinging again I am forced to jump back but I use my slouched form to propel my arm back up, swinging and slicing his chest open. Lowering his defense as he clutches his chest wound with his hand, I see my opening. Shifting the weight onto my back leg, I move forward, slicing his chest left to right in a straight line, I grab a hold of the left side of his neck with my left hand, I raise the stiletto just above his right shoulder and stop.

Looking directly at Leonardo, his emotions were clearly playing in his face. His eyes wide and his jaw limp with shock. He had dropped his charcoal and it lays at his feet broken in half.

"Why do you stop!?" Cesare yells, "Finish him!"

"No." I say firmly looking straight at Cesare.

"Why not."

"He does not deserve to die." I reply and push Claudio away from me and lower my stiletto.

"You have no say in what he deserves and what he doesn't. If you don't finish him, so God help me I will-"

"You will what? Not like you have put him through enough torture enough, locking him up in a cell, not feeding him, and now making him fight against me and possibly die. So you will what, Cesare? Lock me back up, shoot me, or kill me? Go ahead." I raise the knife up to my own throat, "I will kill myself, in order for you to let him go."

Cesare face morphs from anger to a wicked grin, "You have a lot of balls to speak to me in that way. Fine assassin, we will play it your way. Guards!" He yells and the same two militia appear from earlier. "One of you; escort the boy to a doctor, and feed him. The other takes the assassin to the dungeons."

The militia steps to me and rips the knife out of my hand at uses the end to smash my temple in, causing me to topple over to my hands and knees. My visions focuses and un-focuses as I feel the weight of his arm pinning my head down to the ground and arms behind my back. Another pair of hands, I assume to be Cesare's wraps shackles around my forearms and wrists, locking them tight behind my back.

I hear Cesare's voice, "Be careful not to let go of him, he might try to pull something."

I am lifted to my unstable legs and escorted down blurry hallways but am stopped. I hear a different voice this time, one that doesn't sound like a guards but is muffled and hard to understand due to my dizziness.

I am shifted to another set of arms, along with support from weight pushing my forward I am rushed back down the hallway and out into the open. The bright light from the sun is doubled by my blurry vision and blinds me, causing me to shut my eyes.

My head leans down and my body leans forward but is stopped by something holding onto my forearms and wrists. I open my eyes but nothing is focusing. I look behind me and try to make out what is holding me to what looks to be a wall but all I can see is a grey blurry line. Blinking, I shake my head in hopes of reconnecting my vision function to my brain but it just makes it worse.

A voice calls me, "Ezio?" A blob but what I suspect to be a person appears in front of me.

I squint my eyes to make out shakes of the voices face but nothing happens.

"Ezio? Are you awake?" the person calls again, waving something in front of my face.

I close my eyes and turn my head, trying to form words in my head. The pain rises in the head and I grit my teeth.

The figure grips my face with their hand, "Just focus on me." They say holding my head up. "Meastro! He won't open his eyes! What do I do?"

A voice calls back, "Does he have a temperature?"

Weight is put on my forehead, "He feels fine,"

"Let me see," The other voice says putting a hand on my forehead, "You are right. Go fetch the doctor from down the street."

"Yes, Meastro." I hear footsteps and a door opening and closing.

I open my eyes even though my eyelids are heavy. The pain trobs in my head again, groaning, my vision clears enough to make out faces but my mind is still catching up. There was a men standing in front of me, I recognize his face but I can't find his name. "Where… where am I?"

"Safe, at the workshop."

I squint my eyes, concentrating on finding a name to match the face. "Who are you?" I ask quietly.

"Leonardo, your friend." He places his hand on my mouth, "You need to rest. Your concussion will not go away if you do not rest."

My realization hits me like a brick on the back of the head once everything clicked together. Turning around, examining the chains my instincts kick in. I pull and tug with my body weight against them but they don't budge. _'He said he was my 'friend', though he chained me to this wall?'_

Leonardo clasps his hands around my shoulders, halting my struggling. "Ezio, calm done."

I shoot him a glare and try wiggling again, "You said you were my friend, though you chain me to a wall." I say with venom in my words, "A friend is an ally. Someone whom you can trust, be clearly you are lying. Release me from these shackles and I might show you mercy."

Leonardo's face reads betrayal like words on a page of a novel. He shakes his head, "No. I believe that you were the one who is lying. Cesare was planning to imprison you again so I bribed the guard. I was planning on bringing you here, but this." He says gesturing with his hand, "I was expecting the confusion but not you accusing me of lying about our friendship that I hold very dearly. I would never lie to you like that and you know it."

"Then why have me chained to a wall?"

"Cesare would only let me take you here on one condition; I was to have you chained up, to punish you for earlier."

"Did he let the boy live?"

He shakes his head, "I am afraid not. They drowned him in the river while you were escorted across the bridge."

"He is a monster."

Leonardo nods his head while behind him Salai enters through the door. "Meastro, the doctor was out on a house visit."

Leonardo turns his back to me, "That is fine, we don't need him anymore."

Salai looks around him to me and gives him a mysterious grin, "Bene." He walks past him to me and reaches up and cups my face, "I always wondered what it would be like to play prison guard for a day." He says and grins at me.

I glare at him, "I'd be careful where you put your hand. You might lose it." I warn, watching his face morph from an evil grin to fear in seconds and him removing his hand.

He holds his hand in defense close to his heart, "So, that's what it feels like."

Leonardo separates us with his arms, "That's enough, Salai, you are in charge of getting to drink water hourly."

The young man turns to him and whines, "But, Leonardo, I have plans for today."

"I guess they will have to wait. You'll have to start now, the water pitcher is over there." Leonardo turns to me and pokes me in the chest, "Behave." He says before disappearing behind the wall.

I roll my eyes and watch as Salai grabs the pitcher and pours water into a large cup. He turns to me with a full cup and walks back in front of me. He sighs and lifts the cup to my lips but I turns away, causing water to dump from the cup to the floor and the front of my robes.

"What's your problem?"

"I'm not thirsty."

"You have to drink." He says and puts the cup to my lips again.

I lean forward, causing more water to come out, splashing him in the face. He puts the cup down and holds his arms out to the sides, "What was that for?"

"For trying to get me to drink water when I'm not thirsty."

"Agh! Meastro!"

"What?" Leonardo says coming back from around the wall, examining Salai's and mine wet clothes, "What is going on?"

"He won't drink, so he spills it on me." Salai pouts and crosses his arms.

Leonardo looks at me in disappointment, "Ezio, is this true?"

I look away from them both, faking being ashamed of myself. "I didn't mean it. He was pouring to fast." I look up at Leonardo with puppy eyes.

"He is lying!" Salai shouts, becoming angrier.

"Well, next time, you should do this." Leonardo says and begins instructing Salai on how to get me to drink. "If he will not drink, grab his nose, like this." Leonardo grabs my nose, closing it from any air, "You want him to know who is boss. If you come to him and take hold of his nose with no confidence, he will easily become more dominant." He squeezes my nose and I wince and shut my eyes. Using my nose as leverage, he tips my head back, forcing my mouth open and puts the bowl to my bottom lip. "If he does not choose to drink the water, he will drown." He says and tips the bowl, letting the water flow out.

I try to swallow in big gulps but extra water runs down my front. I open my mouth to take more only get rewarded by choking on the water. I gasp but water fills my throat and I cough. I tug at my restraints and gasp, coughing more. My lungs burn from the less amount of oxygen to a point of black dots clouding my vision. Ripping my head from Leonardo's grasp I spit out the water in my mouth and leans my head down. I gasp for air but end up sucking more water down my windpipe causing me to cough and hack. I feel my food from earlier from today coming up due to the amount of water in my system and I vomit on the floor. I feel a hand on my back as I lean over and puke more onto the brick floor. I raise back up and put my head on the wall behind me as vomit runs from my lip down my neck to my robes.

"I am so sorry Ezio." Leonardo says and wipes my chest with a rag.

I look away from him in attempt to avoid his eye. Anger rises from inside of me, I frown and lean my head down the mask it. _'Who does he think he is to do that to me? Right in front of that little brat too?'_

"I should have never done that, I'm sorry." Leonardo says rubbing my neck.

I jerk from his touch, "Don't touch me. Just unshackle me."

"But Cesare-"

"I don't care what he said, if I get caught so be it. Now, let me go."

Leonardo reaches for the hand cuffs fist and unlocks them. I rip my hands from them and flips around, scrambling to get the chains from my forearms. Once free I make for the door but Leonardo grabs my wrist. "Don't." I warn and rip my wrist from him causing me to turn around. His eyes are filled with guilt, and Salai comes and puts a hand on his shoulder. I turn my back to them and reach for the handle of the door but stop, "A warning to you both; follow me and I will kill you." I say and throw the door open and slam it behind me.

Once outside I look down each side of the road. To the left it leading to the countryside, and to the right, it leads further into the city. I take off to the left and fly past civilians on both side of the street. My boots hit gravel but that does not stop my running. I follow the gravel path till it leads straight to a field with trees on either side. I skid to a stop in the grass and look around to see if anyone was near but I find no one. I clench my fists and my knuckles turn white as I grit my teeth to muffle my scream. I fall to my knees and bash my fists into the ground repeatedly until my hands felt like they were broken. I pant from a last time before taking a deep breath.

"Well it seems my killer has run away from home." Cesare says behind me.

I flip around and land on my butt with my arms supporting me, "Cesare." I say with a scowl.

"Leonardo was so upset when I showed up to retrieve you, so I put him out of his misery."

"What?" I ask and get to my feet quickly, making my way over to him and grabbing his collar, "What did you do to him?" I yell.

"You seem upset,"

"Tell me where he is!"

"I took him where he could recover from your treats."

"Where? Tell me, where."

"Desperate are we?"

"Please. I made a grave mistake…" I let him go and sink to my knees, "Dio mio, what have I done?" I ask myself.

"You have run away from home!" Cesare says and kicks me in the side.

I cry out and fall to my stomach, clutching my side. He kicks me again and again, I scream out and try to run but he crushes my hands with his boot. "Please! Stop!" I yell before he rolls me to my back and stands over me.

He steps on my throat and crushes my windpipe, "I do not take lightly to prisoners trying to escape."

I grab his calf and ankle and try to lift his foot off but he doesn't budge. Flashbacks flood my head and they are all I can see. Leonardo tips the bowl flooding my throat with water I cannot swallow in time. Cold hands grip my throat and bash my head to the ground repeatedly. _'No! Stop, please! I didn't mean it! Spare me, spare me!'_

"Cesare! Stop that this instant." Some calls and Cesare looks up from me.

"Why? Do you not remember him threatening you? Yelling at you? Accusing you of lying?" Cesare yells back.

"He didn't mean any of it, and I know it."

Cesare removes boots from my neck and I grasp my hands around it. I quickly flips to my stomach and then to my hands and knees to see who was calling back. _'Leonardo!'_ I get to my feet and try to run to him but Cesare stops me, "Is it true?"

"Yes, I didn't mean any of it. I was being brash and immature." I say but not directed to Cesare, to Leonardo. Ripping my hand from him, I take off at the fastest I can run to Leonardo. I grab him and wrap him into a warm, tight embrace. "I am sorry."

"Apology accepted."


End file.
